The Saturday before I left for Pakistan I ministered at a women’s conference in Secunda. The Spirit of God moved powerfully and I stood in awe to see how all of us were actually fighting in the same fight – we were all women calling out to God to take us into a deeper dimension in our relationship with him.
From there I went to Pakistan and I could see how demonic oppression was trying to destroy a country, but still, there were the faithful ones calling out to a living God for His provision and protection. I don’t want to go into too much detail about the conditions in Pakistan, because I think everyone who has been watching the news would know what I am talking about. There is a blanket of heaviness resting on the place, and it feels devoid of the Holy Spirit. God is a God of protocol and only those that are filled and led by His Spirit will experience His peace.
After a long trip we are safely home. Now, more than ever, I understand what I am trying to teach people at the Spirit School: The spirit dimension is more real, and has a greater influence on our lives and surroundings, than what we realize or can imagine with our natural eyes.
This is exactly why we were sent there, and what Abba wanted to show us. Nothing that we can see in the natural is what it is really about. God wanted something done in the spirit dimension and He wanted to teach us how to do it. The warfare in the heavenlies is happening as we speak. It is not something that we still need to wait for – we need to fight in the spirit NOW!
With my own eyes I could see that the greater the demonic activity in a country, the greater the poverty and the oppression. Pakistan has approximately 180 million people and only about 3% of these people are employed by the Government, but it is one of the countries with the highest rates of corruption. Because of the floods, about 20% of the country is currently under water and the nation is facing a national disaster. People are desperate and still only looking for money, money, money instead of trying to get to the root of the problem. The demonic oppression can even be seen in the landscape. Believe me; we could feel the heaviness tangibly. With Aldo being so sensitive in the spirit he told us every night what we had to pray and bind in the spirit. In the evenings God led us not to get involved with all kinds of meetings, but only to pray and intercede and do what He revealed to us through “Wisdom” as Aldo describes Him. In the evenings we started praying from 6’o clock until 1 o’clock – that is how heavy the fight was raging. I also knew I had to finish the task that Abba called me here to do.
In Ephesians 2 vs. 1-2 the Apostle Paul describes it this way: And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience...
Satan is the prince of the air together with his hosts in what is known as the heavenly realms. From here he builds strongholds of iniquity to govern and manipulate our lives from the air.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Eph. 6:10-13).
Principalities are territorial spirits in charge of governing nations. Their work consists of negatively affecting the largest number of people they possibly can. They operate to cause the misfortune of nations, and the floods here in Pakistan is an example of their doing.
Then there is also the evil powers manifested in unclean spirits, demons, who need a human body though which they can operate. The Lord opened my eyes to these unclean spirits, and I could even see people who had lust on their hands. That is why it dangerous to let someone you don’t know lay hands on you. With this I am not saying that you shouldn’t allow anyone to lay hands on you, but make sure there is not an unclean spirit at work. Always ask for discernment from the Holy Spirit.
Our time in Pakistan was as Aldo described it in one of his letters: “Our fight is in the spirit. Our work is in the spirit – and not with what we can see with our eyes.” We did minister at certain places but I found the ministry very difficult as we could not communicate directly but had to use a translator all the time. People were so desperate but I couldn’t tell what exactly they were after - Was it for Jesus, or was it just to escape their circumstances?
If there is something we can do for Pakistan, it is to pray that those people who are seeking God in truth will find Him. What I found shocking was that I could hardly ever sense the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. I spoke to Abba about what I was experiencing and He answered and said, “Retah, do you know that in many of the Western Churches it is the same – if My Spirit should leave, many won’t even notice. They’ll just go on with their works as usual.” I can only plead and ask the Lord to help us, and I know now, more than ever, that without the Holy Spirit the works are dead.
The hotel we stayed at had held a posh function in order to raise funds for the flood victims and everyone arrived with fancy cars and elegant clothing – but outside everything was dead. There was a stark contrast between what we saw on the inside of the hotel and the conditions people were living in on the outside. There was no life in the spirit.
We also sowed into this relief fund because we knew the money would be used wisely. The organizers even doubled whatever donations they received. Thank you to all our supporters that helped to make this possible.
Aldo developed an abscess on his head at the place where his shunt used to be. We couldn’t stay with the people who invited us to Pakistan because I knew that he would need to be really taken care of in a clean and sterile environment. Their culture is a lot different from ours and we are not used to communal living and we needed some privacy to rest and recoup too. I knew it wasn’t God’s will for us to be worn down and be with other people day and night, and that is why we decided to rather stay in a hotel than with the family. Later I could see why this was important too, because we used the evenings to pray and intercede and do what God called us there to do. Near the end of our trip the abscess only got worse and Aldo had constant pain. By Thursday afternoon I could see that Aldo’s abscess was close to bursting and the skin under his hair was turning bright red. He wrote to me, “Mom, this is not a normal abscess as you think it is. Mom, did you know that demons can cause tumours and abscess’s – this is the work of Satan, Mom. He wants to cause me to fear. Don’t lose your focus Mom. We need to pray and do what we need to do in the spirit, Mom. He is trying to frighten us with obstacles. You need to cut open the wound so that the abscess can drain out – you need to do it before this evening so that we can pray tonight. Cut open my wound, but do it yourself – don’t take me to the hospital. The demons live in the hospital.”
Later I heard that there was a deadly virus in some of the Pakistan hospitals and they don’t have a cure for it yet, so I understood why Wisdom warned us not to go there. Tinus went and bought a razor scalpel at the drugstore and with saltwater and some instructions via sms from a Doctor friend of ours from South-Africa, Tinus opened up the wound to clean it up. He did all of this without any anaesthetic. Aldo was so brave – he didn’t say a word while Tinus made a cut to the skin on his head where the abscess had formed, he only bit on his lip. Tinus had to make a deep cut before the yellow gunk of the abscess finally came out, and I (the one usually so afraid of operations and blood) was his assistant. When I saw the yellow stuff coming out I knew it was demons that caused him to be sick. How many other things do we give medical terms for but the cause is actually because of spiritual attacks? After the pressure was relieved he was immediately better. The next morning we returned home via Dubai.
Our ministry time there was good. Aldo testified to the people of why he was sent back from heaven: To tell the world that Jesus is truly alive. I know that the family who invited us are still going to be used in a mighty way there in Pakistan. I also know that there are some major cultural differences between how we do things and how they are used to doing things.
Because of everything that we went through with Aldo this past year, and the spiritual fight had to fight, we don’t make word covenants with other people by calling them “brother” or “sister” anymore – no matter who you are or where you come from. Not because we don’t trust other people but because we are vigilant to keep our doors closed to any way that the enemy might try to get a foot in the door.
Every one of us here on earth are called to do something specific, and when we are finished with the task we close the chapter and we move on. That is how we are going to keep our focus on the future.
Thank you to the family who invited us. I know Abba is the source of all that we need, and when we keep on looking to Jesus we will receive the strength for what we need to do. Thank you to everyone who came to hear the gospel. Thank You Abba that You gave us the strength to do what you called us for. This trip wasn’t only to reach out to the people of Pakistan, but there was a higher purpose in us being there – a purpose that can only be seen with the eyes of faith, so that You can do your work in the hearts of Your people. First the unseen needs to be done, and then the work can be done in the natural.
We need to realize that no amount of money, or any one person or ministry can save Pakistan – only Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our Messiah, can do such a miracle. He is the Saviour to those who call upon His name.
This week I closed the page of Pakistan, and took out my schedule to see what is next – I have a conference waiting for me this week. I give a step forward and I decide not to look back. Yesterday is over and done with, and because Jesus is alive I can face tomorrow.
I go and tuck in the kids before I go to bed myself and I see Josh is sleeping with his new hockey stick that we brought for him from Pakistan.
Blessings to you from South-Africa.
Retah and the family.